Specific Gravity and Weight Perception
What is the Specific gravity of a substance?
Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a standard substance in physics. It's typically applied to liquids and solids, but it may also be applied to gases. The most often utilized standard material for liquids and solids is water at 4°C. A substance's specific gravity is dimensionless and is often represented by the Greek symbol ρ.
Relative Density of the given substances:
Galena's specific gravity is 7.5, Quartz's specific gravity is 2.65, and Liquid mercury's specific gravity is 13.6. An object with a specific gravity greater than 1 sinks in water, while one with a specific gravity less than 1 floats in water. The specific gravity of water is 1.0. An object with a specific gravity greater than 1 sinks in water, while one with a specific gravity less than 1 floats in water. We can conclude from the values above that liquid mercury is heavier than galena, which is in turn heavier than quartz. Therefore, since both quartz and galena are being measured with equal sizes or volumes, galena will feel heavier than quartz. Therefore, the correct option is A.
Specific gravity is a crucial concept in physics that helps us understand the relative density of different substances. By comparing the specific gravity of various materials, we can determine which one will feel heavier when handled in equal volumes.
In this scenario, we have galena, quartz, and liquid mercury with specific gravity values of 7.5, 2.65, and 13.6 respectively. With this information, we can see that liquid mercury is the densest of the three, followed by galena and then quartz. Since specific gravity indicates how a substance compares to the density of water, which has a specific gravity of 1.0, we can infer that the higher the specific gravity, the heavier the substance.
Therefore, when given equal-sized samples of galena and quartz, galena will feel heavier due to its higher specific gravity compared to quartz. This is because the specific gravity of galena is 7.5, while quartz has a specific gravity of 2.65, making galena denser and hence heavier in equal volumes.
Understanding specific gravity and its implications on weight perception can help us analyze and compare the densities of different materials, making it a valuable concept in various scientific fields.